Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
We know when we are born again, we are changed. We are interested in God and hearing about God and knowing things of God after we are born again and given the Spirit of God.
But we also know we still have the flesh which pulls us another direction.
I Peter 4 explains this:
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand:be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Jesus suffered for us in the flesh ... Jesus died on a cross to give us a way to God. Peter says for us to arm ourselves likewise for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
When we learn to keep our flesh crucified and not allow our flesh to rule as it once did, we cease from sins of the flesh.
The flesh wants to gossip ... We refuse to allow our tongue to do this. We do whatever is needed to keep the tongue from speaking ... Job said he would put his hand over his mouth. (Job 40:4)
Of course, in the moment of temptation, before we allow ourselves to speak, we can pray, asking God to help us not to speak.
If we have to do so we can stay away from the people who solicit gossip until we have control from God.
We do what we have to do to keep our tongue from speaking.
This is example of suffering in the flesh and ceasing from sin ... We make the tongue suffer by not allowing it to speak ... thus we cease from sin.
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All other sins are this way also ... if you have been a drunkard, you suffer in the flesh by refusing to drink ... you certainly need to pray for help but then you also have to do that which God calls to your attention to keep your flesh "crucified" with Christ.
I know of a woman who was seeking a fornication partner. She would go out looking for a man. She said she is Christian. You can't do this if you are Christian. Instead she should repent and make no provision for her flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof ...
Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Pray ... ask God for help in the temptation ... keep scriptures before you to fight the problem ... This is putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We suffer in the flesh by not allowing the flesh to do what it wants to do ... thus we cease from sin when we suffer in the flesh. We make our flesh suffer by not allowing it to do what it wants to do.
Here are the things the flesh wants to do ... Gal. 5 ... 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
If you consider yourself to be born again, you have to work at keeping your flesh crucified with Christ, not allowing your flesh to do those sins it once enjoyed.
In the temptation, you can also ask God for wisdom to deal with the temptation.
James 1 ... 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But you must do what ever you have to do to control the flesh and keep the flesh crucified with Christ.
Dead men do not sin.
When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ unto death. Romans 6 / Col. 3
If you are a Christian with the Spirit of God you are equipped with a power from God to make your flesh suffer, not letting your flesh do what it wants to do.
But it is up to each of us to do this.
For younger people ... Paul instructs ... I Cor. 7
1
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:It is good for a man
not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every
man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let
the husband render unto the wife due benevolence:and likewise also the
wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but
the husband:and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own
body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with
consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer;
and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. 7 For I would
that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift
of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say
therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide
even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry:for it is
better to marry than to burn.
10 And unto the married I command, yet
not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:11 But and
if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her
husband:and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 But to the rest
speak I, not the Lord:If any brother hath a wife that believeth not,
and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And
the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased
to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving
husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is
sanctified by the husband:else were your children unclean; but now are
they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother
or a sister is not under bondage in such cases:but God hath called us to
peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy
husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.
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As long as we are on the earth, the flesh will try to rise up and have power.
Prayer and reading scripture daily are very strengthening. This needs to be a way of life for us every day of our life. And we find both prayer and scripture will be a joy to us, not drudgery, when we do it properly and keep our heart connected to God, desiring God.
I love reading the stories of the Old Testament for they show the great power of God in behalf of his people.
The New Testament gives me instruction and is also of great value.
And Paul says:
Eph. 6 ...
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
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This blog is written daily because God gave me a dream showing me to do this.
Daily exhortations help us in the trials of this life.
And we are told: Heb. 10 ... 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We can assemble together through this blog. (God showed me that in the dream where HE showed me to start the blog ... Mar. 2012)
And we do exhort one another and even more as we see the sin increasing on this earth and know the return of Jesus must be soon because of the wrath of God over the sin of our present time on this earth.
If you read this blog daily in a proper way and allow correction to take place when needed, I know you will be strengthened daily ... for even though I write much of this blog, I read the blog daily and am strengthened. As I focus on that which is written here, I find I am sometimes corrected ... and often I find a confirmation in the way I have chosen to go as I live on this earth. Both correction and confirmation are important to us.